1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a catheter, and more importantly, pertains to a catheter with a longitudinal co-extruded stripe or printed stripe or marking or longitudinal sequence of markings, such as for urological catheters.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art catheters have generally been clear, polymer tubing, and it is impossible to tell the alignment of the tip and/or holes of the catheter relative to the portion of the catheter outside the body. If the catheter has been passed down through a particular pathway, such as a urological pathway, withdrawal of the catheter through a passage can cause injury to the tissue of the passage way.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a catheter with a longitudinal stripe or sequence of markings for illustrating the orientation of the tip end of the catheter relative to the portion outside the body.